2000
#13,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,041
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Almquist
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the words "alm" meaning elm tree and "kvist" meaning twig or branch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,297 Americans carry the last name Almquist. That puts it at #14,366 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,218 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Almquist surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,218
Census rank
#14,366
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,003 bearers of the surname Almquist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14366th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Almquist, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Almquist
The surname Almquist is of Swedish origin, originating from the early 17th century. It is derived from the Swedish words "alm," meaning elm tree, and "qvist," meaning branch or twig. The name likely referred to someone who lived near an elm tree or a place with elm trees.
Almquist is a common surname in Sweden, particularly in the central and southern regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Södermanland County, dating back to the 1620s.
In the late 17th century, a notable figure named Jonas Almquist (1653-1718) was a Swedish clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Strängnäs Diocese. He played a significant role in the religious life of the region during his time.
Another prominent individual with the surname was Carl Jonas Love Almquist (1793-1866), a renowned Swedish writer, poet, and composer. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Swedish literature and is known for works such as "Törnrosens bok" (The Book of the Thorn Rose) and "Det går an" (It's Acceptable).
During the 19th century, the Almquist family spread across Sweden and beyond. One notable member was Olof Almquist (1842-1926), a Swedish-American educator and author who founded the first Swedish-American newspaper in the United States, called "Hemlandet" (The Homeland).
In the 20th century, Stig Almquist (1918-2007) was a Swedish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of modern household appliances, particularly dishwashers and washing machines.
Another individual of note is Ingrid Almquist (1920-2001), a Swedish artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings and her involvement in the Swedish avant-garde art movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Almquist surname has also been found in other parts of Scandinavia, including Norway and Denmark, likely due to migration and intermarriage between the regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Almquist
Among Census respondents with the surname Almquist, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Almquist bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Almquist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 1,833
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 69
- Two or more races3.3% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 23
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Almquist
Almquist appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,078
+37 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 747 places
2020
#14,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,003
-75 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,635 | 2,041 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,382 | 2,078 | 0.70 | +37 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 747 places |
| 2020 | #14,366 | 2,003 | 0.67 | -75 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 16 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Almquist surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,382 | #14,366 | 0.1% |
| Count | 2,078 | 2,003 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.67 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Almquist bearers went from 2,078 to 2,003 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,382 to #14,366.
FAQ
Almquist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Almquist?
Name Census estimates that about 2,297 living Americans carry the surname Almquist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,218 residents.
How common is Almquist?
Almquist ranks #14,366 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,003 people with the surname Almquist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Almquist.
Has Almquist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Almquist went from 2,078 recorded bearers to 2,003. That is a decrease of 75 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,382 to #14,366.
What does the Census say about the background of Almquist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Almquist, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Almquist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Almquist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Almquist (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Almquist mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the words "alm" meaning elm tree and "kvist" meaning twig or branch. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Almquist (0.67 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Almquist?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.